Wednesday, 30 September 2009

Dear Mandela

Dear Mandela (5 min cut) from Sleeping Giant on Vimeo.



Dear Mandela is an upcoming documentary film due for completion in June 2010. It describes South Africa's "new apartheid", where forced evictions and extreme poverty are an ongoing way of life, where no longer the country is divided into black and white but rather the increasing margins between rich and poor. At present about one million people live in shack developments in Durban, South africa. In time for the World Cup 2010, the city has been aiming to "erradicate the slums". Sadly much of this has been happening at gun point and people are being fined up to 20 000 rand if they don't evict their properties.
Often shackdwellers are left homless and in fear of their life.

Abahlali baseMjondolo, The Shack Dwellers Movement, has been facing considerable opression in trying to affect such change. In recent weeks some members have have had to go into hiding for fear of their lives.

Last weekend, residents of Kennedy Road settlement, in Durban, were attacked by a 40 strong crowd of men, with knifes and guns. The target was a meeting of the Kennedy Road Development Committee (KRDC).
Shots were fired and several were killed. Over thirty shacks were rampaged and destroyed.

Calls to the police were ignored. Thousands fled the community overnight.

See witness reports...



The Shackdwellers are upset at the thought that the World Cup simply symbolises a demolition of their own homes. This event at Kennedy Road marks a turning point. It signals that the concept of a 'rainbow nation' is now ending and, sadly political unrest due to this opression of the poor may become a defining fracture in the country.

The film, Dear Mandela follows the life of three young shackdwellers who have joined The Shackdwellers Movement to try to bring about a grassroots change in the Constitution in how shackdwellers are being treated.

International crew in the making of the film "Dear Mandela" are believed to have witnessed the attack.


Sunday, 27 September 2009

A voice for the voiceless

I have been really impressed by a project taken on by Hillside Digital in South Africa which enables and trains impoverished, marginalised communities to use new media and basic journalism skills to access funding and communicate at a grassroots level with local business as well as the international community.

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Kids playing with Danny's Camera in Alexandra TownShip, South Africa

See Danny Lurie, founder of the project explain how this works in practice.

Voice of the people

I am hoping at some point soon to link in person with the project at Hillside Digital, to support the people in training there on the ground & also to unite them with local community networks I link to here in Northern Ireland, who are willing to support both online and financially.


You can follow the project also on twitter www.twitter.com/hillsidedigital

Please take a look at this project ~ I have been so inspired and know for sure that giving people a voice empowers many and will be paramount in enabling change.

The flutter of a butterfly's wings can cause a hurricane on the otherside of the world.


Saturday, 26 September 2009

A new journey

Just a little note to those of you who follow me here.
I have embarked recently on a new journey... that of documentary making!

You may wish to follow some of my progress here

Journey into Film


The last number of weeks have been hectic. But I do wish to thank so much those of you who have believed, supported and inspired me to this point. You have made such things possible...things that three months ago were not even a dream.

I will be writing shortly about how this journey started ~

And will continue to write here too about causes and people who inspire me.

Thanks,

Eva X

Thursday, 24 September 2009

Women who Live Their Dream



A film by Gemma Cubero and Celeste Carrasco

Sunday, 20 September 2009

There is no greater joy....


"So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more dangerous to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun."

— Chris McCandless

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